Skullcap

Scutellaria galericulata

About

Skullcap can be found on damp ground such as marshes, fens, riverbanks, pond margins and canalsides. This delicate flower blooms between June and September and is pollinated by long-tongued bees; it is also the only foodplant of the Skullcap Leaf Beetle - a yellowy-brown beetle with a black head and four spots on its back.

How to identify

Skullcaps have violet-blue, tube-like flowers with two lips that sit in pairs in the leaf axils (where they join the stem). They have square stems and oval leaves with toothed margins that appear in opposite pairs. The closely related Lesser Skullcap has pink flowers.

Where to find it

Scattered across the UK, with most populations concentrated in England and Wales.

When to find it

June

July

August

September

How can people help

Human activity, including the drainage of land for agriculture and development, has resulted in the disappearance of many of the UK's wetlands. The Wildlife Trusts are working closely with planners, developers and farmers to ensure our wetlands are protected. You can help too: add native plants and flowers, such as Skullcap, to a wildlife-friendly pond and its margins, and provide shelter for amphibians and nectar for insects. In partnership with the RHS, The Wildlife Trusts' Wild About Gardens initiative can help you plan your wildlife garden.